Tonsillotome.



No. 650,496. Patented May 29, I900. F. A. STQHLMANN &. L. G. PFABRE.

TONSILLUTUME'. (Application filed May 18, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ATTORNEYS w: Norms PETERS no. mom-urns. WASNINGTON, o. c,

UNITED STAfrEs PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. STOHLMANN AND LOUIS G. PFARRE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO GEORGE TIEMANN' & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

TONSILLO 'I 'OME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,496, dated May 29, 1900.

Application filed May is, 1899.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK A. SToHL- MANN and LOUIS G. PFARRE, residents of the city of New York,borougl1 of Brooklyn,county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tonsillotomes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates in general to surgical instruments for excising organs or growths located in the hollow parts of the body which are not readily accessible to the ordinarysurgeons knife or scalpel.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown our invention as embodied in a tonsillotome, although it is not limited thereto.

The essential features of our invention will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the instrument, showing the parts in their normal position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the front or forward portion of the instrument, the said section being taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the instrument, showing the parts partly collapsed and in the positions which they assume at about the inst-ant that the tonsil (represented at t) is seized by the jaws. Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view of the structure, showing the tonsil lifting or stretching jaws or lifting device raised, and

when the partsare in this position the tonsil is distended ready to be cut.

Fig. 6 is asection of the forward part of the instrument on the line'G 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section of the forward part of the instrument with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 5 or with the blades a little nearer each other to show the beginning of the cutting operation. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side view of the device for restoring the tonsillifting device to its initial position, the direction' of view being opposite to that of Fig. 2.

The device shown in the drawings comprises means for seizing or piercing a tonsil or other part and lifting the same by a substantial straight upward pull, thereby distending the part, and thus facilitating the work of the cntting blades. Means are provided whereby the cutting-blades execute their entire cutting movements toward each other longitudi- Serial No. 717,249. (No model.)

come together along the line where the strain occurs, so that-while the tonsil is put under strain the pull exerted will be a straight pull substantially at right angles to the cut of the knives.

We do not claim to have been the first to produce in a surgical instrument of this charactor a tonsil-lifting device having a straight pull, but in instruments heretofore devised, so far as we are aware, the cutting-blades do not effect the severing of the tonsil at the point beneath the lifting device, but the severing occurs at a slight distance from the said lifting device, whereby the tonsil during the cutting operation is subjected to a lateral or diagonal strain. In our device, however, the tonsil is given a substantially-straight lift and the jaws approaching fromopposite directions under the tonsil meet at a point substantially in the line of strain on the tonsil exerted by thelifting device, whichmode of operation is very effective to efficiently carry out the surgical operation in the best manner.

The operating parts of the structure shown in the drawings will be described and then their interactions will be set forth seriatt'm.

ary body portion of the device. This stationary body portion is shown as a bar provided with finger rings or pieces 12, secured rigidly thereto. The upper cutting-blade c is carried upon an operating bar or slide d, which is slotted at c for the passage of a pivot-screw f, carried by the stationary bar a and also slotted at g for the passage of another pivotscrew h, likewise carried by the stationary bar a. The operating-bar d, likewise carries pivoted thereto a block 1 having a guide-finger j and a cam-face 7c. The. block '5 is pivoted at Z on the slide (1 and is provided'with a pair of lovers m 0, which cooperate, respectively, with abutments p g on opposite sides of a slide 1', which carries the lower blade 8. It will be observed that the upper blade 0 slides in the grooves s at the sides of the lower blade 3. The bar 7' is provided with k In the drawings, (t represents the station the rigid operating-handle u at its rear end and is pivoted to a link '2) of a lazy-tongs, the middle lever or link 10 being pivoted on the pivot-screw f and pivoted to a third link 01;, which is pivoted by the pivot y to the slide or bar at, which operates the upper blade.

Itwill of course be understood that the lower slide 1' is appropriately slotted for the,

passage of the pivot-screw f. The means just described, are with the exception of the swinging plate or block i, whose function will be explained later, the parts which operate to effect the reciprocal movement of the knives. The operation of these parts Willnow be-described. If the middle and index fingers be placed in the finger-rings li and the rear end or operating handle or piece 2 of the sliding bar (1 pressed against by the root of the thumb or what is otherwise known as the fork of the hand, the slide d will execute a forward movement, carrying the upper blade c for ward. The slide d as it moves forward will, by means of the pivot y, pull upon the link 50, thereby swinging the centrally-pivoted link to, which, as before mentioned, is pivoted in the stationary bar a, and thereby forcing the link '0 to the rear, which link 4), being pivoted to the bar 0", connected to the blade 8, will cause the said blade to move toward the oncoming upper blade 0, so that pressure upon the crutch a will effect a reciprocal move ment of the blades by which the cutting is effected. The blades may be restored to their initial positions by removing the thumb from the crutch z and placing it upon the collapsing handle a and pressingforward, whereupon the lazy-tongs will be collapsed and the blades will be separated, the two blades moving away from each other. It will be seen that both handles it and z execute their movements insuhstantially the lines in which the slides and blades move, thereby exercising a direct stress upon the lazy-tongs.

The device for producing the pull or lift 011 the tonsil will now be'dcscribed. This device in the present instance is shown as consist- ,ing of a pair of resilient tongs 1 2, pivoted to the screw or pivot it, carried by the stationary bar a. It will be understood that the bars d and 'r are both slotted for the passage of this pivot, the slot of the upper bar being shown at g in Fig. 1 and the slot in the lower bar 0' lying immediately beneath the slot g in the upper bar. These tong members 1 2 are provided with angular slots 3 1-, through which the angular pin j, carried by the swinging block 1', passes. The tongs 1 2 are adapted to be raised by the cam-face it when the said cam first is brought against the said ton gs by the upward swing of the block 2'. The operation of the lifting or stretching device is as follows: As the slide 0 moves to the rear and the slide (Z moves'forward thearm on, carried by the pivoted block 1' on the slide d, and the abutment 19, carried by the lower slide o come in contact, and as the slide cl continues to move forward and the slide 7 to be retracted the ment of the pin j in the angular slots 3 4: of l the said tongs. The successive positions of the block, tongs, and pin may be seen by an inspection of Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5,-and 7. After the tonsil has been severed the knives are restored to their initial position in the manner above pointed out, and as the slided is retracted and the slide 1" moves forward the abutment q, carried by the lower slide 1", and the lever 0, carried by the swinging block k, will come in contact, and thereby as the parts continue to move restore the block 2 to its initial position (shown in Figs. 2and 5) and open- "ing the jaws l 2 of the tongs by the movement of the pin j in the angular slots 3 4 of the said jaws or tongs.

It will be understood that the entire operation of the device is as follows: As the blades move toward each other the jaws or tongs 12 grip the tonsil between them. Alifting motion is then imparted to the jaws or tongs, whereby a straight pull is brought on the tonsil,

the blades continuing to move toward each other and finally effecting the severance or excision of the tonsil at a point lying beneath the jaws l 2 and substantially along the line of pull exerted by the said jaws. These actions can be followed out successively by obv,

serving Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In a surgical-instrument of the charac- 'ter described, the combination with a plublades .of pivoted slotted tongs adapted to grasp or engage the tonsil, the slots of the said tongs intersecting each other and a pin entering the said slots and adapted to effect the movement of said tongs.

3. In a surgical instrument of the character described, the combination of cuttingblades one of which is movable, a plurality of pivoted slotted tongs adapted to grasp or engage a tonsil and a pin carried by a part moving in harmony with the movable blade and entering the slots of the slotted tongs to' operate the same.

4. In a surgical instrument of the character described, the combination of movable cutting-blades, a pair of pivoted slotted tongs adapted to grasp or engage a tonsil, slots in the tongs intersecting each other and a swinging pin 9' of a bent or curved character for actuating the said tongs.

5. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a body, a plurality of movable slides operating suitable blades and a lazy-tongs connected to the slides and the body and efiecting relative movement of the blades and an operating-handle for the lazy-tongs adapted to be moved in the direction of movement of one of the slides.

6. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a plurality of slides moving in opposite directions in a right line, moving blades operated thereby and a lazy-tongs arrangement for effecting the movement of the slides simultaneously having a handle executing its movement in, or substantially in, the line of movement of the slides.

7. In a tonsillotome a combination of a plurality of blades with means for moving the said blades toward each other in a single plane and in a straight line; a pair of tongs adapted to seize a tonsil and means carried by one of the moving blades for closing the said tongs toward each other.

8. In a tonsillotome the combination of a plurality of blades one at least of which is movable; a lazy-tongs arrangement for effecting a cut of said blades and so connected with the said blades as to cause the blades to efiect their cut as lazy-tongs is being extended, an independent means acting in the direction of movement of 'a blade for closing the said lazytongs to restore the parts to their initial po sitions.

9. In a tonsillotome a combination of cutting-blades and tongs for seizing a tonsil with a pin-and-slot arrangement for operating the said tongs the pin whereof is carried upon a swinging block carried by one of the bladeoperating means.

10. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a plurality of cutting-blades, one at least of which is movable and a lazy-tongs for operating the said movable blade and a handle for operating the lazy-tongs, the said handle being adapted to be moved in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the movable blade. 1

11. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a body, a lazy-tongs comprising a link pivotally secured to the body and a plurality of links each pivotallysecu red to the first-mentioned link, a plurality of slides operating cutting-blades which slide, pivotally secured to one of the last-mentioned links and an operating-handle adapted to be moved in the direction of movement of one of the said slides.

12. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a body, a plurality of freely-movable slides carrying cutting-blades, a lazy-tongs adapted to actuate at least one of the slides, an operating-handle for the lazy-tongs adapted for movement in the general line of movement of the movable blade, a plurality of tonsil-engaging jaws pivotally carried by the body and means for actuating the said jaws by the movement of one of the slides.

13. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a plurality of movable blades, a lazy-tongs for effecting the movement of the said movable blades, an operating-handle for the lazy-tongs adapted to extend the said lazy-tongs and arranged to be moved in the direction of movement of one of the said blades and a collapsing-handle collapsing the said lazy-tongs,

movable in the same direction as the movement of the operating-handle.

14. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a plurality of cutting-blades, one at least of which is movable, a lazy-tongs for moving the the said lazy-tongs arranged to be moved in the general line of movement of the movable blade and a restoring-handle for the lazytongs having its operating movement in the same direction as the movement of the operating-handle.

15. In a tonsillotome, the combination of a body a, a plurality of blade-operating slides (Z 1', a link or lever w pivotally secured to the body intermediate of its ends and links 1; 0c pivotally connected to the lever 10 and the slides r 01 respectively, and means for extending and collapsing the lazy-tongs constituted by the lever w and the links 1; and m, substantially as set forth.

FREDERICK A. STOHLMANN. LOUIS G. PFARRE. Witnesses:

MAURICE BLOCK, 0. FRED STOHLMANN.

.said movable blade, an operating-handle for 

